The 'Land Promise' in the New Testament

Christians tend not to reflect on the significance of the New Testament scriptures that deal directly with the issue of the 'land of promise'.

Moreover, we tend not to think about the nature of the NT's way of dealing with such 'land' issues.

John 4

One reference I find highly instructive comes from John's gospel account where, in a well-known example, Jesus a Jew talks with a Samaritan woman at Jacob's well.


Jesus progressively reveals himself to her until he describes himself as the Giver of 'life-giving' water (Jn 4.14). But he later provokes her even more when he undercuts both Jewish and Samaritan worship ideas (Jn 4.21-24). 

'Neither in this mountain [Gerazim] nor in Jerusalem' is worship to be conducted (Jn 4.21) in the future. Jesus knows that with his death something fundamental is going to change re the temple sacrifices; he also knows that the Romans are going to destroy Jerusalem in AD68-70 (Matt 23.37-39) and finally again in AD135. 

Furthermore, he is teaching that worship will not be localised in some particular place but worship will be available anywhere because God is a Spirit.

Hebrews 11

This chapter wonderfully describes faith as, 'the substance [or reality] of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen' (v1). The hope of a group of faithful people (Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Sarah) is outlined thus:

¹³These all died in faith, not have received the promises, but having seen them afar off were assured of them, embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. ¹⁴ For those who say such things declare plainly that they seek a homeland. ¹⁵ And truly if they had called to mind that country from which they had come out, they would have had opportunity to return. ¹⁶ But now they desire a better, that is a heavenly country. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them (Heb 11.13-16).

A remarkable scripture because 'the hope' these OT saints have is not one related to the material earth. For though they seek a 'homeland', their homeland is not one found on the earth but 'a heavenly country' (v 16) and in view of that, God has prepared for them a 'city' (v 16). 

What is more remarkable is that the long list of OT saints 'did not receive the promise, God having provided something better for us, that they should not be made perfect apart from us' (Heb 11.39-40). 

So the group of Jewish Christians being addressed in this letter, in danger of sliding back into a faith without Jesus Christ, is being exhorted to remain in the faith of the patriarchs of old so that all may attain the perfection promised of old.

Although this letter was not written TO us in the 21st century -it was written FOR us, for our instruction 1 Cor 10.1-11, see vv 6, 11- it does indicate the oneness of the people of God. Both the OT and the Jewish NT believers in Christ are to be perfected together (v 40).

Hebrews 12

In this chapter the writer contrasts the old, terrifying Mt Horeb (Ex 19.12, 13) to Mt Zion (Heb 12.22-24) reminding his readers that they 'have not come' to earthly Horeb but to 'Mt Zion' which is the fortress of 'the city of the living God', 'the heavenly Jerusalem', peopled by 'an innumerable company of angels', 'the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are registered in heaven', 'to God the Judge of all', 'to the spirits of just men made perfect', 'to Jesus the Mediator of the new covenant, etc'.

We should notice immediately that Mt Zion is directly associated with 'the city of the living God,  heavenly Jerusalem'.

Thrice again in the NT, this heavenly Jerusalem will be referred to (Gal 4.26; Rev 21.1, 10). In the Galatians passage, Paul contrasts two covenants (one of bondage, Sinai; the other of freedom). The first covenant corresponds to present Jerusalem while the second to 'the Jerusalem above is free, which is the mother of us all' (Gal 4.26).

What is highly significant is that these terms 'heavenly Jerusalem, the city of the living God, Mt Zion' strongly suggest that a material realisation of a godly city of Jerusalem on the earth in Palestine peopled by righteous Jewish-Israeli folk believing in the Lord Jesus is highly dubious.